Oddly enough, Ubisoft has had to repeatedly tell gamers that its downloadable game I Am Alive is still breathing. After a teaser trailer was released in 2008 the game went dark, prompting some to wonder if it might never see the light of day.

This isn’t the case of course, since I Am Alive arrives this Wednesday on the Xbox Live Marketplace, with a PSN version to follow at some point in the future. While the game has a few issues, it still provides an intense experience within a post-apocalyptic setting that’s a little more down-to-earth.

I Am Alive isn’t an easy game, but that’s kind of the point since it takes place in a very unforgiving world. The game, developed by Ubisoft Shanghai, is set one year after a cataclysmic disaster which wiped out most of humanity.

Players take control of Adam Collins, a man who has just arrived in the city of Haventon in search of his wife and child. His story is presented through video diaries shot with a handheld camera. The cause of the disaster, referred to as the Event, is never made clear. All players see is the aftermath, which includes collapsed buildings and dangerous clouds of dust which can be harmful when breathed.

But the most dangerous hazard the Event left in its wake was people, who will now do anything to survive.

I Am Alive’s world isn’t a friendly place. Throughout their journey, players will come across violent gangs, cannibalism and the abuse of women. The game succeeds in giving a scary portrayal of how far humanity could fall if the civilized world we take for granted were to suddenly crumble. There’s rarely ever a point when one feels safe while exploring the city.

I Am Alive’s gameplay is split up between platforming and combat. Both have elements that keep in line with the theme of desperation and limited resources.

Climbing up abandoned buildings and steel bridges works much like any other platforming game, but in I Am Alive the player constantly drains a stamina meter while they vault around the world. Stamina can be regained by resting on a ledge or consuming items such as water, but those who push themselves too hard will end up falling to their death.

I Am Alive offers an open world for the player to travel through between missions, filled with traps and hidden items. Thanks to a constantly updated map navigation isn’t hard, but the thick dust can make finding one’s way around quite annoying. During one night-time sequence the effect was almost completely blinding.

Where I Am Alive really gets interesting is during combat. The player has a few weapons at their disposal: a machete, a bow and arrow and a pistol. Bullets are extremely rare, so don’t expect to ever have more than a few rounds on hand.

There’s an interesting social dynamic at work in the combat. as players are asked to think hard before they resort to violence. It’s a nice change since shooting is often treated as a required reflex in other action games.

It’s a good idea not to make any sudden moves when encountering other survivors. Some might not be friendly, but will leave you alone if you do the same for them. Others will be more hostile. During these instances, players can equip their pistol to intimidate their foes. No bullets are required to brandish a gun threateningly, but some enemies might be tough enough to call your bluff.

Even when choosing to engage, players need to be careful and prioritize their targets. Some enemies have machetes, while others are also packing pistols. To make things harder, the game continually throws more enemies into each in encounter, some who even have armour.

The standoffs in I Am Alive are hair-raising. Players can’t take much damage before dying, and the game puts a limit on how many times you can load the last checkpoint before being forced to start from the very beginning of a level. It’s crucial to shoot carefully, but sadly the game’s aiming system doesn’t help.

Pulling the left trigger will send the game into a first person mode that comes with an uncomfortable lock-on targeting system. Simply moving the right thumbstick selects another target, making it easy to kill the wrong person. I Am Alive’s encounters don’t leave room for errors, so it’s unfortunate that the aiming makes it easy to foul up a standoff.

Throughout the game, players will have the option of assisting other survivors by providing them with food or medicine. Given the scarcity of supplies, even gamers who usually fly the straight and narrow may be tempted to hoard items for themselves. However, the payoff comes from earning additional retries to put off the dreaded level restart. Although players can make these moral choices, they have no impact on the game’s story.

I Am Alive’s length is respectable for a downloadable game, clocking in at about six hours. Besides a few achievements that can only be unlocked on the harder difficulty, there aren’t many reasons to dive back in. Still, six hours for a $15 game is reasonable considering some full retail action games offer about the same play time.

The mission structure doesn’t change much over the course of the campaign. Most episodes involve fetch quests for radio transmitters or medication, but the game doesn’t outlast its stay.

I Am Alive’s visuals aren’t on the level of full retail games, but there are some moments that impress. When climbing up tall skyscrapers it’s tempting to stop and admire the impressive vista of the ruined city. Some production shortcuts are noticeable, such as multiple bystanders who are clearly voiced by the same actor.

Drawbacks aside, I Am Alive offers an oppressive atmosphere that asks the player to think about their actions or suffer the consequences. It’s a different experience compared to what we see in most retail games, and that’s something all downloadable titles should strive for.

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